“Nice to see you again,” Reed said as he passed, giving me a hug. All the others followed suit. I was their unofficial little sister now, a part of the Two Dimension family.
“Cole can finally take that mopey look off his face now,” Dylan added. “He’s been missing you real bad.”
“I’ll do my best to cheer him up,” I replied, smiling because I loved them all so much. They weren’t sure about me in the beginning but I think I had won them all over.
Cole lingered back, even when Hipster Beard left with the other guys. “Do you mind if I play you one last song?”
“Of course.” My curiosity jumped up to a million percent. Cole grabbed his guitar as it leaned against the wall, strumming it a few times before he began.
What came next completely floored me.
Chapter Four
Cole held all my attention as he sang. “There is always a sun to light up my day, it’s called Melrose and I love her in every way.”
I was about to collapse into a puddle as he sang to me. I never wanted the moment to stop.
“There is nothing else I need in life, nothing else except to see her smile. She has me wrapped around her little finger, the same way she’s inside my heart.”
This moment right now, it was the best moment of my life. Nobody else existed, just Cole and me, plus the beautiful music he had written just for us. I couldn’t have wished for more.
“Every breath I take is dedicated to her. She makes me want to be a better person, the person I always wanted to be. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, she is my life and my love. And she will be forever.”
He was so talented, his words reading like a poem and his music singing like a sonnet. I couldn’t have been happier to call Cole Newton my boyfriend. He was mine and I was his. It was that easy.
He finished the song and placed the guitar against the wall where it stood before. He looked at me nervously, waiting for the verdict that I think he thought would be negative. Cole had just opened his heart and let it bleed for me. There was no way I could have disliked his song.
“You wrote that for me,” I said, still in a slight daze about the whole surreal thing.
“Yeah. It was two weeks ago and I was on a plane after visiting you. Instead of being miserable, I thought I’d put into words how I felt about you. About us.” He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal but I knew Cole well enough to know that wasn’t true.
I quickly ran into his arms, not wanting him to wait a moment longer to see how I felt about the song. I showered him with kisses, wrapping my arms around him so he couldn’t avoid the love I had for him.
He hugged me back tightly, his arms the safest place in the world. It didn’t matter that we had to work around his schedule or my school, we were making it work. Nothing was going to come between us.
When he finally released me, I cupped his cheeks in my hands. “I love the song, Cole. I love it almost as much as I love you. Thank you for writing it for me.”
“I wanted you to know how much you meant to me.”
“I already know, I don’t need a song. But I love it anyway.”
His grin went from ear to ear. “I have another surprise for you. Are you ready for it?”
What girl wouldn’t be ready for a surprise? With Cole, it could have been anything in the world. I didn’t even dare to guess what it was. “Of course. What is it?”
“The band is nominated for a bunch of awards at the Major Music Awards. I want you to come with me, it’s in Los Angeles. Will you come?” He waited expectantly, the excitement shining in his eyes and making them sparkle.
“Of course I will!” Going to a music awards with the hottest guy on the planet, that was definitely in the range of something I would kill to do.
But Cole had even more for me. “That wasn’t the surprise.” I quirked one eyebrow upwards in question. “You’re going to need a dress for the awards so I’ve arranged for Simone LePark to open her store tonight. Just for you.”
“I’m getting a dress from Simone LePark?” She was only the single biggest fashion designer in the world. She was known for her young and trendy range. Simone LePark didn’t just make clothes, she set trends.
Trends that every celebrity would follow.
Trends that everyone else tried to copy.
Cole nodded. “We have to go now so she isn’t waiting around all night for us.”
Somebody pinch me, because I was certain I was dreaming.
A car was waiting for us just outside the doors of the studio. We climbed in and then we were off on another adventure. No matter how many times I wondered what I would do with Cole while visiting, I never even came close to guessing.
Simone LePark’s personal studio was in the glitzy, rich section of Miami. I only knew that because of all the designer stores that lined the streets surrounding it. It felt like you needed a million dollars in your bank account before you were permitted entry.
Simone was the only one in the store when we arrived. She looked exactly like she did on television and in the social pages of the magazines. She welcomed us with open arms, giving Cole air kisses on each cheek before repeating it with me too.
Her black hair was cut short in a bob, her coke-bottle-thick glasses perched on the end of her nose. With the way she was so skinny, she reminded me of a magpie. All angles and sharpness.
She stepped back to look me up and down. “A lovely figure you have there. I’m sure my dresses are going to sparkle on you. Come with me, my dear, I have them all ready for you to try on.”
I followed her to the back of the store where she had only one dressing room. A large white couch was nearby for them to wait on. I opened the curtain with a flurry and looked at the waiting dresses.
They were beautiful.
Like, breathtakingly, just stepped off the runaway, peacock fancy, beautiful.
It felt wrong even touching them, they probably cost more than my car. Maybe even more than my house. I made up my mind right then and there that I wouldn’t let Cole buy one for me. I would try them on but I wasn’t going to leave with one of them. It was too much and I couldn’t accept such an extravagant gift.
“Try them all on,” Simone ordered. “We cannot know which one will be the one without seeing them on.”
She gestured to the first gown and closed the curtain with a whoosh. I turned to the mirror and imagined myself in any of the gowns. It felt wrong just picturing it. But there was also no way of getting out of there without following orders. The last thing I wanted to do was insult Simone LePark.
I peeled off my Sears clothes and slid into the first dress. It was red, covered in shimmering sequins, and low in the back. I felt like a very fancy mermaid in the gown. The girl in the mirror looked like someone else now, someone in a very beautiful dress.
The curtain swished as I pulled it back. I took a few steps, having to hold up the dress’s skirt in order to walk. Standing in front of Cole and Simone was nerve-wracking. Surely they could see that this wasn’t the dress for me?
Simone clapped her hands together. “That looks wonderful, darling. You are wearing the dress, the dress isn’t wearing you.”
Whatever that meant.
I looked at Cole. “Do you like it?”
He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he allowed any words to pass through. “It’s really great. I mean, you look great. Beautiful, and all that.”
If I didn’t know Cole so well, I might have missed the slight pink blush to his cheeks.
It was cute.
But I still didn’t know what he really thought about the dress. “I’ll try on the next one,” I said before turning and hurrying for the safety of the change room.
Even in the fine fabric I had felt naked. The sequins were heavy but they were like a weight around me. They didn’t make me feel like I was myself.
The rest of the dresses were all the same. Each one was ridiculously beautiful and amazing, but none of them were me. I always thought I’d kill to wear a Simo
ne LePark dress but the reality of my dreams wasn’t quite the same.
Simone and Cole complimented each of the gowns but it wasn’t until I reached the last one that Simone said, “That’s it. That is your dress, Melrose. Don’t you agree, Cole?”
Cole sat up a little straighter. “Yeah, it’s definitely nice.”
I raised a questioning eyebrow but he didn’t elaborate. Dresses weren’t really his thing, I guessed. He was probably bored out of his brain about the whole thing. It was sweet of him to pretend anyway.
“Change out of it and I will find you some accessories to accompany the dress,” Simone said before standing. I locked eyes with Cole but his expression was unreadable.
I still didn’t want him buying me the dress. It didn’t have a price tag on it which meant it was beyond expensive. The term ‘if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it’ sprang to mind.
My own clothes felt much better on me. I may have got them on special at a Thanksgiving sale, but they were mine and they reflected who I was inside.
The minute I stepped out of the change rooms, I went straight to Cole. Thankfully, Simone was still busy in her jewelry cabinet. “I don’t want the dress, Cole.”
His forehead creased. “But you look hot in it. Don’t you like it?”
“No, it’s fantastic. But it’s too expensive, it’s too much. I can’t let you get it.”
Cole’s face relaxed into a smile. “Simone is giving it to you. Nobody’s paying for anything. But I still would have bought it for you anyway. You deserve nice things.”
“Why would she just give it to me?” People didn’t just give away couture dresses. The world didn’t work that way. Plus, I wasn’t a charity case and didn’t want the designer to think I was on the poverty line.
“She wants her dress on the music award’s red carpet and photographed for everyone to see. She wants everyone to want her dresses and being on you will guarantee her more publicity than she could buy,” Cole explained. There were several things extremely frightening about his statement.
“But what if I don’t look that good in it? She won’t sell any,” I protested. It was only the beginning of my anxiety.
“Did you not see yourself in that dress? There is no reason to worry, Mel. Trust me, every girl in the world is going to want that dress after the awards.”
My head was spinning but I didn’t get another chance to ask more questions before Simone returned. She brought with her a bunch of jewelry and a few pairs of shoes. Each item looked more expensive than the next.
“Your ears are pierced, that’s good.’’ Simone held up a crystal drop earring to my ear. “These look fabulous on you, darling. You will need to wear your hair up in order to show them off and let the light hit them. You’ll want everyone to see them sparkle.”
I smiled because that’s about all I could do.
Inside, I was feeling strangled. The crystal, the gold, the sparkles, they weren’t me. Simone was dressing me up like I was a dummy in her window and I feared I would let her down.
Cole was his usual self at my side, like this wasn’t a big deal. I knew designers tried to get him to wear their clothes all the time. Sometimes he agreed, sometime he didn’t. He was always true to his own style.
But his girlfriend? I wasn’t supposed to be in the spotlight.
“There will be millions of people seeing you in my gown, darling. Make sure to smile for everyone,” Simone said.
Did she just say millions?
Chapter Five
I was still in a daze when we returned to the hotel. To have been given a dress all so that Simone LePark could have it photographed next to Two Dimension on the red carpet was absurd. I shouldn’t have let it freak me out as much as it did but I couldn’t help it.
It wasn’t like these things happened every day.
I guess when I was with Cole, I often forgot what a big deal he was. To me, he was the goofy and romantic boy I had fallen in love with. But to the rest of the world he was Cole Newton, lead singer of Two Dimension.
As we walked to my room, Cole’s phone beeped with a message. He normally switched off his phone when we were together but he seemed a little stressed and probably forgot today.
He silently shook his head as he read the message. His mouth turned into a frown, making my insides tie in a knot. “Is everything okay?”
Cole switched off the cellphone and shoved it into his pocket. “It’s just this other band. I know I shouldn’t care but they keep saying they’re better than us. Like better at writing songs and singing them.”
“You mean Ten Minutes of Winter?” I’d heard of them in the media over the last few weeks. They were a band that had shot to fame, seemingly a hit overnight. I’d seen a few interviews online where they talked about Two Dimension, it was how I’d found the articles in the first place.
“Yeah, them. It’s like they’re challenging us to see who’s the bigger band.”
“I’m sure there’s room enough for both,” I said, trying to reassure him. Ten Minutes of Winter were good, that was for sure, but there was no reason why Cole’s fans would suddenly jump ship and not support them anymore.
“There is,” Cole agreed. “But the way they keep saying it makes it seem like if we don’t say something back, we’ll be seen as running scared from them. We need to address what they are saying.”
“They’re probably just trying to get publicity. Maybe they’ll calm down now they are well known.”
“Yeah, I hope so.”
We reached my door and I opened it with my key card. I waited until I had his full attention again and then smiled. “Everyone knows Two Dimension is way better anyway.”
His frown turned upside down before he leaned forward to kiss me. My lips tingled with happiness at the connection. I loved Cole so much and hated seeing him upset in any way. If I could do anything to help him and the rest of the guys, I would.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered against my skin. It sent a shiver down my spine.
“You’re the amazing one,” I replied.
Cole pulled me close against him so there wasn’t a breath between us. He wrapped his arms around me before dipping me backwards. I was left with only one foot still on the floor when he kissed me.
I felt like I was in a fairy tale.
And I was the princess.
He settled me back upright. “Goodnight Melrose.”
“Goodnight Cole.”
I watched him walk away from me as he headed toward his own hotel room. I wanted to chase after him so he’d stay, because being apart from him for even another second made my stomach ache.
But I didn’t.
I went into my own room and curled up on the bed. The love I had for Cole was enormous. But it was also dangerous. I had once loved my mother to infinity and beyond and she had left our lives one day, shattering my heart in the process.
What if Cole decided to leave one day?
It had been hard enough continuing on without my mother, it would be even worse now with Cole because I was older and understood what being loved really felt like.
I had already fallen for him so there was no way to avoid being hurt now but maybe it was time for some protective measures? Maybe I needed to make sure I didn’t fall any further, just in case the time came when I would lose him from my arms.
The next morning, I awoke in the same position on the bed as I had fallen asleep in. I was looking forward to spending another day with Cole but I was still cautious. He’d never given me any indication that he was going to break up with me, but my mother never told us she was going to leave either.
I needed to make sure I didn’t get carried away in my love bubble. My feet needed to stay on the ground, otherwise I would be swallowed up, only to be spat out later on.
Maybe.
Perhaps.
There was no way to look into the future and see what was going to happen. All I could do was be prepared for as many different scenarios as I could.
First thing that morning was a band meeting in their manager’s room. I joined the boys, helping myself to the breakfast buffet that was set up in the room – I didn’t even know hotels did that. It was amazing what Two Dimension could get away with that ordinary people couldn’t.
They talked about the new album for a while, discussing songs that I hadn’t heard of before. Scott gave them a rundown of their schedule for the next few weeks. It seemed to be packed full of meetings and interviews.
I switched off after a while, not being able to follow everything they were discussing. Cole’s world was a solar system away from mine. I did two things: go to school and look after Jemma. There were no public appearances involved.
My ears switched back on when they started talking about Ten Minutes of Winter again. It wasn’t Cole that brought it up, but Dylan. “What are we going to do about them? It’s turned into a joke. If we don’t do something soon, they will think they’ve won.”
Scott waved his hands around in a calm down motion. He wasn’t much for dramatics. “We won’t be doing anything to address the comments. After all the scandal we had when Luke left, we just need to focus on getting work done. Everything else is just a distraction.”
Call me paranoid, but I was certain he looked at me when he said ‘distraction’.
“But they’re challenging us,” Nick said, eliciting rumbles of agreement from the other boys. “We’re going to look weak if we don’t do something.”
“We’re going to be doing something,” their manager replied, a little more heated than before. “We are going to finish making the next album and sell a billion copies. That is going to do more to silence them than anything else. When we’re top of the charts, they won’t have a leg to stand on.”
The boys still weren’t happy with the plan. Bubbles of anger lingered in the air, ready to be popped at any moment. When they reached their limit, it wasn’t going to be easy. They knew they had to listen to their manager but that didn’t mean they had to like it.
Scott sighed. “Just trust me on this one, guys. I have been in this industry for a long time. I’ve seen more than you could ever imagine and I know what I’m doing. This will pass, just like everything else. Ten Minutes of Winter will fade into oblivion like all the other wannabes.”
Star Crossed Collection Page 6